Program Description

The bachelor of arts (BA) in psychology is designed to provide students with a foundation
in the field of psychology. Students will gain an understanding of the complexity
and diversity of human behavior and the psychological theories and concepts which
help explain human behavior. Consequently, students who have successfully completed
the degree may be able to apply psychological principles to become a more effective
manager, supervisor or educator. In addition, some students may be able to pursue
a variety of career and graduate opportunities within psychology, counseling and related
fields (e.g. nursing).

Students graduating with a bachelor of arts (BA) in psychology will need to pursue
a graduate degree before they are able to obtain professional licensure. Students
are encouraged to check entrance requirements for any post-graduate program prior
to finishing their BA at Webster in the event they need to take additional coursework.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

Describe the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings and historical
trends in psychology.

Implement the use of critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry and, when possible,
the scientific approach to examine problems related to psychology.

Describe the research methods and statistical techniques used in psychology.

Discuss the factors contributing to diversity, multiculturalism and inequality within
an international context.

Discuss the occupational pursuits available in a variety of settings given their psychological
knowledge, skills and values.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 128 credit hours consisting of the following:

49 required credit hours in the psychology major (52 required for emphasis in mental
health)

Special Requirements

Courses completed with a grade below a C- do not count toward fulfilling the specific
course requirements of the major.

Within required 49 (or 52) hours, 24 hours must be at the 3000-level and above, with
at least 12 hours at the 4000-level.

No more than 6 credit hours obtained in senior thesis, practica, independent learning
experiences, reading courses and assessment of prior learning may be applied toward
the 49 (or 52) credit hours required for the major. However, students may use any
number of thesis, practica, independent learning experiences, etc. toward their overall
bachelor degree requirements of 128 credit hours.

Transfer students can apply up to 15 credit hours of approved PSYC course work from
other colleges/universities towards the PSYC major. Students may transfer in 3 credit
hours of approved foreign language course work to meet the International Language
requirement for psychology.

International Language Requirements

A minimum of 3 hours in a non-native language (expertise demonstrated by coursework
or testing) are required in addition to the requirements for the major. Courses used
towards the International Language requirement may also be used to fulfill general
education requirements or a major/minor in a foreign language.

Transfer students who have completed their 3 credits at an institution of higher education
are considered to have fulfilled the requirement, as are students who have scored
a "3" or higher on an Advanced Placement exam in a non-native language.

Students whose native language is not English and who are studying English will be
considered to have achieved their foreign language requirement if they successfully
pass an ESL test of their English proficiency (e.g., TOEFL). Students who are from
bilingual families but have no evidence of academic study of the second language on
a transcript will need to take one course.

Curriculum

The 49 credit hours required for the bachelor of arts in psychology include the following:

Emphasis in Mental Health (52 credit hours)

The bachelor of arts (BA) in psychology with an emphasis in mental health is designed
to proved an understanding of how cognitive, behavioral, personality and social factors
are involved in mental health and illness. Students who have successfully completed
the degree will be prepared to pursue a variety of graduate and career opportunities
within mental health-oriented fields (e.g. counseling, nursing, psychology, social
work).

Students graduating with a bachelor of arts (BA) in psychology with an emphasis in
mental health will need to pursue a graduate degree before they are able to obtain
professional licensure. Students are encouraged to check entrance requirements for
any post-graduate programs prior to finishing their BA at Webster in the event they
need to take additional coursework.

Emphasis-Specific Learning Outcomes

In addition to the general learning outcomes for the bachelor of arts in psychology,
students will be able to:

Discuss the psychological and behavioral processes in mental health and illness.

Required Courses for the Emphasis in Mental Health

The 52 credit hours required for the bachelor of arts in psychology with an emphasis
in mental health include the following: